Blessings of marking the way...

Blessings of marking the way…

When Israel was taken into captivity, the Prophet Jeremiah said, “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.” (Jeremiah 31:21 ESV)

The point of this was that Israel might find their way back. The prophet knew their exile would be 3 ½ generations long – 70 years! They would forget their way in the time of the exile.

Sometimes, it doesn’t take 70 years. Sometimes, 70 minutes is long enough for us to forget our way. Sometimes, 70 seconds is all it takes for us to lose our way. Whether moments, minutes or months, we need to get back to God.

Waymarkers are a blessing in that regard. When we establish markers along our spiritual journey, they always help us find our way when we are confused or wandering.

For example, in our local church, whenever we baptize someone, we give them a candle. The other day, I walked in my daughter’s room and there, prominently on a shelf, sat her candle.

Israel of old would set up altars of sacrifice and worship. They’d also set up stones of remembrance; each of these stones was called an “ebenezer”, which means “stone of remembrance.”

We get a beloved hymn from one such ebenezer raising as recorded in 1 Samuel 7: “As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the LORD has helped us.’” (1 Samuel 7:10-12 ESV) Thus the hymn-writer, Robert Robinson, wrote “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thine help I’ve come, and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.” And, Amen, I say!

Besides showing us our way back when we are wandering, waymarkers serve three other wonderful purposes:

1. They make us remember what God has done.

2. They cause us to express gratitude.

3. They give a path to those who come after.

We do well to remember. We do well to mark what God has done. America, for example, has so divorced herself from the life of faith that our nation often sets up waymakers, such as memorials, but she fails to give God the glory or the credit, so the remembrances don’t encourage us to come back to God or to thank God. Such things mark our history as secular and cause us to be thankful for the (supposed) strength of man.

Be that as it may, what of your life? What are your stones of remembrance? What do you celebrate? How do you remember?

You do well to remember! You had better remember!

Sit down today and recount what God has done in your life. Remember!

Perhaps you are away from the Lord, or not where you want to be with Him. Return again to the Lord! Remember!

Learn to tell your story and mark your way. Learn to remember God’s goodness to you. Keep it fresh in your mind and in your heart. For example, I’ve been clean, dry and sober for 8,320 days today. To that I say, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by God’s help I’m come.” When I remember that, I remember that’s how many days I’ve been living as a disciple of Jesus. I was called into vocational ministry on January 4, 2000. I don’t forget that. I remember the day I started at Berry’s Grove, Youth For Christ and East Rock. I remember the exact day we switched from YFC to MLM. I remember my kids’ birthdays and the days they were born. I remember my wedding day. I remember a day in September 2003 when I understood the Holy Spirit in a fresh way. I remember the day both my girls surrendered to Jesus and I remember baptizing them (in the coldest water ever!). I remember so many days where God graciously supplied our needs at My Life Matters. On and on and on…

I’m marking my way! I remember!

Fact is, I'm writing this today and here again is another Ebenezer. Hither by God's help I'm come. Amen.